Americans United - Beverly LaHayehttps://www.au.org/tags/beverly-lahaye
enPartisan Parley In The Peach State?: Religious Right 'Renewal' Event In Georgia Seems Aimed At Senate Run-off https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/partisan-parley-in-the-peach-state-religious-right-renewal-event-in-georgia
<a href="/about/people/bathija">Sandhya Bathija</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Here they go again.</p>
<p>It seems that Religious Right activists are up to their usual dubious tactics — this time recruiting Georgia churches to try to secure a victory for U.S. Senate Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss in his Dec. 2 run-off.</p>
<p>After the Nov. 4 election, neither Chambliss nor Democrat Jim Martin received the 50-percent-plus-one-vote needed to win. If Martin ousts Chambliss next week, that means 59 Democrats will hold seats in the Senate. And depending on the results in the Minnesota Senate recount, that could lead to 60 Democrats holding seats — the number needed for a filibuster-proof majority.</p>
<p>With so much at stake, it's not surprising that Religious Right honchos are pushing the Georgia Renewal Project's "Pastors' Policy Briefing Luncheon" tomorrow afternoon at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta — exactly one week before the run-off election. (Beverly LaHaye of Concerned Women for America sent an <a href="http://www.cwfa.org/articles/16040/FIELD/misc/index.htm">announcement</a> to her email list.)</p>
<p>The event tomorrow is headlined "Rediscovering God in America," and there is no mention that Chambliss will be in attendance, but it certainly seems likely. Back in January, Religious Right powerhouses <a href="http://blog.au.org/2008/01/18/under-the-radar-secret-pastors-briefings-seem-to-have-partisan-purpose/">organized similar events</a> masked as "pastors' policy briefings" for evangelical clergy in order to promote Mike Huckabee's candidacy for presidency.</p>
<p>These "briefings," just like the one planned for tomorrow, were put on by shadowy state-based groups using names including the words "renewal" and "restoration," and brought together conservative Protestant pastors for closed-door meetings.</p>
<p>Those organizing the gatherings claim they were there to discuss "social issues," but surprise, Huckabee spoke at the events. His appearances were always under the radar, and no other candidate in the Republican primary was in attendance, leading political observers to conclude that these "briefings" really had a partisan purpose.</p>
<p>Events were held in Iowa, South Carolina and Florida. In Florida, the American Family Association, the Florida Family Policy Council (a James Dobson affiliate), Tim and Bev LaHaye and other Religious Right powerbrokers <a href="http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=cs_&amp;page=NewsArticle&amp;id=9694">organized one of these briefings </a>for evangelical clergy, also called "Rediscovering God in America."</p>
<p>According to a report by the <a href="http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=cs_&amp;page=NewsArticle&amp;id=9694"><em>Dallas Morning News</em></a>, the Florida event was shrouded in secrecy and only Huckabee spoke. Huckabee said he was not there as a presidential candidate yet delivered a sermon that had broad political implications. He called for a constitutional amendment banning abortion and demanded that those in attendance become active in politics.</p>
<p>Tomorrow's event has a lot of the same trappings. Special guests include Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and "historian" David Barton from Wallbuilders, a Religious Right organization pushing a right-wing Christian version of American history.</p>
<p>Also listed as guest speakers are Bob McEwen, a former "pro-family" Ohio congressman who helped host a Huckabee fundraiser last November and spoke at the South Carolina "pastor policy briefing" in January, as well as Mat Staver, head of the Falwell-affiliated Religious Right group Liberty Counsel (who was also in attendance at the South Carolina briefing).</p>
<p>LaHaye's announcement of the Atlanta function, which went out as part of Concerned Women's electronic newsletter, says other guest speakers will be in attendance who are not mentioned on the program.</p>
<p>If this "briefing" really is just to "encourage pastors and their congregations to take a stand for morality in their daily lives," — as the announcement claims -- it seems rather coincidental that it comes one week before the run-off, with the same key players that put on Huckabee's "renewal" projects.</p>
<p>Though suspicious, it's not surprising — just another underhanded attempt by the Religious Right to skirt federal tax law, which bars churches and other tax-exempt groups from making candidate endorsements.</p>
<p>If Chambliss does make an appearance, we'll be interested to see if Martin is there, too.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/pastors-policy-briefing">&quot;Pastors&#039; Policy Briefing&quot;</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/beverly-lahaye">Beverly LaHaye</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/concerned-women-america">Concerned Women for America</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/election-08">Election &#039;08</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/georgia-senate-run">Georgia Senate Run-off</a></span></div></div>Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:06:53 +0000Sandhya Bathija2312 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/partisan-parley-in-the-peach-state-religious-right-renewal-event-in-georgia#commentsPublic School Calumny: LaHaye Launches Vicious Attack On Public School System https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/public-school-calumny-lahaye-launches-vicious-attack-on-public-school
<a href="/about/people/joseph-l-conn">Joseph L. Conn</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p class="MsoNormal">I'm always amazed at the hatred the Religious Right aims at America's public school system.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Last Thursday, Concerned Women for America (CWA) sent out an email with the subject line: "Please Help Our Children." At first, I thought maybe the group had come up some sort of assistance program for needy youngsters.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">What an incredibly foolish thought!</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">CWA Founder and Chairman Bev LaHaye instead was on the warpath against public schools.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">"Forty million of our nation's children are returning this fall to a system that is broken," she growled. "They are entering into a culture that has been stripped of all notion of right and wrong. They are sitting down in classrooms designed to educate in math, science and English, and instead are being taught about 'alternative' lifestyles and lessons that promote sex to our youngsters. So how can any of us be shocked when they engage in outrageous sexual behavior? The schools all but endorse it!"</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Continued LaHaye, "How could our school system have fallen from being the best in the world to a broken system that is turning out kids that not only have no moral foundation, they can't read, spell, add, or find Iraq on a world map?"</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">LaHaye blasted the National Education Association, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network as "the greatest enemies of our children."</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">That list really cuts to the heart of LaHaye's problem. She despises the public schools because they welcome students of all faiths (and none). They do not indoctrinate students in LaHaye's fundamentalist religion, and many schools teach comprehensive sex education as well as respect and tolerance for gay and lesbian students. (I wish more did so.)</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">America's public school system serves some 90 percent of our nation's youngsters. By and large, it does a pretty good job. Schools take kids from a wide range of backgrounds, including the severely disadvantaged, and do their best to provide a good education. Public school teachers deserve our gratitude, not vicious lies. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Is every school doing as well as it should? No, of course not. But where schools are not succeeding, we need to fix the problem, not attack the very concept of religiously neutral comprehensive public education.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Our school system is a vital national resource, and we must make it as strong as possible. We must also make sure that we keep people such as LaHaye from destroying it.</p>
</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/fighting-religious-right">Fighting the Religious Right</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religion-public-schools-and-universities">Religion in Public Schools and Universities</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/beverly-lahaye">Beverly LaHaye</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/concerned-women-america">Concerned Women for America</a></span></div></div>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:24:53 +0000Joseph L. Conn1530 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/public-school-calumny-lahaye-launches-vicious-attack-on-public-school#comments